Devon & Cornwall Police News site

A woman has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for inflicting grievous bodily harm, following an incident in November 2023.

Emergency services were called to a property in Barnstaple, after Hayley Adams, 38, was found to be unresponsive. She was later pronounced deceased at the scene.

Cheyenne Loder, 32, from Gorwell Road, Barnstaple, appeared before His Honour Judge James Adkin at Exeter Crown Court on Wednesday 15 May, where she was sentenced to two-and-a-half years, less time already served on remand. The judge said she would serve 15 months of that on licence after her release.

Loder pleaded guilty to a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm when she appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Friday 19 April.

She was originally charged with murder, but the alternative charge was offered at an earlier hearing as it was not possible to prove that her actions had led to the death of Ms Adams.

The court heard that police had been called by the ambulance service to an address on Gorwell Road, Barnstaple, to a report of a woman in cardiac arrest at around 5.15pm on Saturday 4 November 2023.

Officers and paramedics attended, to find Ms Adams unresponsive with injuries to her face and head. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The court was also told that both Ms Adams and Loder had taken a mixture of crack cocaine, amphetamines and alcohol over a period of three days.

When interviewed, Loder said in a statement that she didn’t know what had happened.

In a later statement, she said she had known Ms Adams for 8-9 years and that they had become best friends.

She said: “There was no one closer to me. I loved her and would never knowingly harm her.”

But when interviewed, she would not answer any questions around the circumstances around how Ms Adams had sustained her injuries.

A forensic post-mortem examination was carried out, but it could not be proved that the injuries suffered by Ms Adams led to her death.

The examination concluded that although it was likely that the assault played a role in Ms Adams’ death, it was not possible to exclude the possibility that death would have occurred due to the combined effects of cocaine use and an underlying medical condition in the absence of an assault.

This led to the alternative charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm to which Loder pleaded guilty and for which she was sentenced to two-and-a-half years, less time already served on remand.

In his summing up, HHJ Adkin said Ms Adams had been subjected to a ‘prolonged and persistent assault’ and that the only explanation for the ferocity of the violence were the drugs and alcohol consumed by Loder.

Hayley’s family said: “Hayley was the life and soul of the party and lit up any room she graced. She had a way of making everyone feel like the centre of the world and was so excited to run into people she knew.

“She came into her own when her children were born; she was so proud to be their mummy.

“As a family, our world fell apart when we received the shocking news that Hayley had passed away.

“We have all, as a family, had sleepless nights and have worked our way through every emotion: anger, shock, heartbreak, sorrow and confusion.

“Hayley will never see her children grow, get married and have children of their own. More importantly, her three beautiful children will never have their mummy to share in their successes or support them when they need her.

“Towards the end of her life, it was clear that Hayley had some struggles, but she was many things: a mum, a beloved daughter, a fun friend, and a disco queen. We will miss her and think of her every day of our lives.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector David Egan said: “Hayley Adams was subjected to a sustained attack and her death has had a devastating effect on her family.

“Violence has no place in civil society and Devon & Cornwall Police will always do its utmost to investigate these matters and bring offenders to justice, with this case being of particular impact to the community of Barnstaple.

“I would like to thank and commend all those involved in investigating this case, including the Major Crime Investigation Team, experts, prosecution team and members of the public who have assisted and provided evidence.

“My deepest condolences go to Hayley’s family and those who knew her. I hope that today’s sentence will bring some comfort and closure for them.”